Delivering Alternative Sanitation Solutions

- Compost Toilet installation at drought-affected school

GVI Fiji Achievement Report June 2015
Somolevu Catholic School is located on Matacawalevu Island in the Nacula Tikina of the Yasawa Island chain.
Somolevu Catholic School has 107 pupils who come from four villages on three islands. Among these students there
are 16 pupils who board from Monday to Friday at the school.
From May to October, the Yasawa Islands have some of the lowest
levels of precipitation in Fiji. Communities and schools rely heavily on
rainwater harvesting and groundwater, thus the lack of rain greatly
affects the availability of fresh water. Somolevu Catholic School uses a
small spring but this dries up quickly during the dry season and as a
result the school uses rainwater as its primary source of fresh water. In
recent years this has resulted in multiple school closures throughout the
dry season for Somolevu Catholic School.
As a result of the lack of adequate fresh water, the school has suffered
from on-going sanitation problems. Up until April 2015, the school had
only ever used pit toilets. The dormitory had flush toilets for a short
period of time but they required water from the spring. As the source is
unreliable the toilets went into disrepair and the boarders having since
reverted back to using pit toilets.

O pen- def ecation has numerous

health implications. Without sanitation,
pathogens found in human faeces can be
easily transferred to people; either by
contaminating ground water or crops,
being picked up by flies, or directly to
peoples fingers. These pathogens can
cause diarrheal disease, which kills
approximately 760 000 children under
five each year.
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factshe
ets/fs330/en/

The pit toilets at the school were unsanitary and not safe for use. Many of the pits were full and they lacked sufficient
privacy for the pupils. As a result of the condition of the pit toilets, the students often practiced open-defecation;
preferring to use the bushes behind the pit toilets rather than the toilets themselves.
With the dry seasons in the Yasawa Islands getting longer and more severe, Samolevu required assistance in the
provision of a safe and reliable sanitation solution for the students.
In
response,
the
Australian
Governments Access to Quality
Education Program (AQEP) proposed
the construction of six waterless
compost toilets to provide emergency
response assistance for the disasteraffected school. By using compost
toilets, the school would be able to
provide safe and sanitary facilities for
the students regardless of the availability
of fresh water. After submitting a
proposal to AQEP Global Vision
International (GVI) Fiji were contracted
to lead the construction and training for
the project from April to June 2015.

Construction
After consulting with the school management, it was decided that 4 compost toilets would be placed next to
school for the day scholars to use and a further 2 near to the student dormitories. GVI hired a small team of local
contractors and utilized labor from the village of Vuaki, which is situated adjacent to the school. The construction
followed the timeline below.
Task
4-Unit Block
Day 1-6
Day 8-12
Day 15-20
2-Unit Block
Day 8-12
Day 15-20
Day 22-26

Foundation

Brick
Work

Slab

Wood
Frame

Pine
Lining

Drain
Trench

Stairs

Doors

Toilet
Seat

Paint

X
X

X
X

Completed compost toilet blocks at Somolevu School

Breakdown of Cost A
Total budget: FJD 31, 019.96
Total Expenditure: FJD30,978.87

1.7%

4.7%

Freight
Transport

0.3%

Labor

10.3%
41.8%
18.7%

8.9%

Materials

AccommodaBon and Food

CommunicaBon
Training

13.5%

Management Fee

Training
Training would be integral to the success and sustainability of the project. The training for the compost toilets
consisted of two sessions with the teachers, school committee members and parents, as well as a presentation to the
parents of the students who board and lessons with each
class. In addition to this formal training, the involvement
K ey Trainin g Top ics fo r P arents & Teachers
of the school caretaker in the construction of the toilets and
What is sanitation and why is it important?
many discussions with community members around the
The issues surrounding current sanitation systems
tanoa will also help ensure this project is sustainable.
The first training session incorporated participatory
learning techniques, in which parents and teachers
analyzed their own experience with sanitation by splitting
into two groups, brainstorming the answers to four
questions and then presenting to the other group.

How compost toilets can be a successful

alternative to flush toilets?
How a compost toilet turns human waste into a
resource?
The operations and maintenance of compost
toilets
The advantages of compost toilets

To conclude the training the participants were asked to

form a plan for how to maintain the toilets. They discussed
who would be responsible for each of the following tasks; filling each bin with dry grass, putting dry grass into the
toilets, cleaning the toilets, supplying toilet paper, monitoring when to switch to the other chamber, emptying the
fertilizer, cleaning the inside of the chambers once it is emptied, supplying soap. This maintenance plan was used as
a guideline in the next training session.

Classroom lessons were carried out in the same week as the training with the parents and teachers, so that the key
information could be reinforced. Assisted by each class teacher, GVI carried out a series of lessons tailored to
pupils between the ages of 5-14 years old. A series of engaging and
K ey Learnin g Ou tcom es for
interactive activities were carried out with the students, designed to
studen ts
deliver the key learning outcomes and instill a sense of pride and
ownership.
Important steps to follow when
A follow up training session was then conducted for teachers and key
members of the school committee. The aim of this training was to give
an overview of the first training session, ensuring that the participants
understood the importance of sanitation, the shortcomings of flush
toilet systems and the operation and maintenance requirements of
compost toilets. The main objective of the training was to formalize the
maintenance plan discussed in the first training.

using a compost toilet

Guidelines for what should and
should not enter a compost toilet
An overview of how the compost
toilet works
Introduction to the composting
process

Conclusion
As a result of this initiative from Ausaids Access to Quality Education Program, the students of Somolevu
Catholic School now have access to six compost toilets. These facilities will alleviate pressure on fresh water
sources and reduce the risk of closure due to a lack of safe sanitation. Although compost toilets are not a new
concept, their use around the world has been steadily on the rise as fresh water is becoming increasingly scarce.
As the first school in Fiji to utilize compost toilets to this extent, Somolevu will set an example for other schools
that experience similar water issues. By carrying out a series of training sessions with key stakeholders at the
school, the students, parents and teachers are equipped with the tools and knowledge required to use and maintain
their new toilet facilities. However, it is important to recognize that the compost toilet concept is providing an
alternative to the well establish flush toilet system which the students and communities are familiar with. The
integration of the compost toilets into day-to-day life will take time but with the training provided by GVI it is
hoped that the communities can make the first steps towards a long-term solution to the sanitation issues at
Somolevu School.

GVI presented a plaque

to Somolevu Catholic
School to signify the
handover of the
operations and
maintenance of the
Compost toilets. The
plaque is received by the
schools head teacher
and one of the village
elders.

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